While we do #Denmark #Danmark #USA #Greenland #Arctic drama, don't forget the #Inuit, the people who live there

@davevolek @eswag @Pepijn

then *you* accept the status quo

we don't

there is only moving forward, no matter how much the path is rocky, and i agree with you it is rocky

but we cannot choose pessimism, rather than accurately and consciously identifying the challenges and meeting them

i reject your cynicism. it describes your attitude, not our reality

articulate a path forward or at least do not reject those who are moving forward, however hard you (accurately) see their path

@eswag @Pepijn

get 50 #mamdani s in the #primaries2026

absolutely NO american leftist has an excuse not to vote in the primaries

none

third party doesn't work. not voting is self-serving self-defeating idiocy

we take over the #democrats

it is a requirement or you need to shut up about what you say you care about forever, because you do not care if you do not vote in the #primaries

@benroyce @eswag @Pepijn

In 2008, many were swooning over Obama--and USA was charting a new direction. I said, "That ain't gonna happen." Obama is a classy, intelligent, well-meaning guy, but he is against forces that he cannot overcome. And look what came after.

After the warning shot across the bow, the Democratic Party elected a leader who was not well, cognitively speaking. The nation paid the price for that mistake.

Whatever cynicism I may have is well earned.

We need a new way.

@benroyce @phl I bet I’m not the only American to just now be hearing about this. WTF?!?!

@davevolek @eswag @Pepijn

well yeah but your new way has to come via the old way

you need to engage the shit system to build the better system

it's not good enough to merely envision the better, you have to implement it. and that means involving yourself in what is, to make what should be, no matter how much what is sucks

so when you speak of mamdani, cheer

don't write his obituary when he's been in office a week. that's absurd and self-defeating

@benroyce @eswag @Pepijn

The new way will have to be built outside the current way. I explain that in Chapter 6.

A student in martial arts learns many skills to hurt their foes. But the skills that really matter are the skills to deftly step aside--and help the foe continue in the same direction of his attack but in a stumbling way.

Never directly confront a foe if you don't have to. Be sneaky.

@davevolek @eswag @Pepijn

when i say work in the shit system to build the better system, i'm not even talking about the democratic party, i'm talking american society as it is

which means rules of organizing and reaching out and dispelling common misconceptions that automatically invoke many of them same crap old methodologies you dislike

you can't be a ghost

and mamdani at *the least* represents the power of the new. that is your ally. don't shit on your allies

@benroyce @eswag @Pepijn

Have you worked inside a political party?

@benroyce And I must say that I find it harder by the day to hear quotes from US citizens like "I didn't vote for him", "not my president", "not in my name" and especially: "50% of us disagree".

I get it. And I believe people when they say that. It also doesn't mean anything to me. That's internal.

What is external, to me as a citizen of another country, is that the USA -the country, with all the history, friendship & agreements we share- is actively threatening my country with invasion & war.

@davevolek @eswag @Pepijn

i've done political work

are you putting forth a resume on your part working in a shit old system, exactly as you crap on mamdani for successfully working a shit old system?

come on man

all i'm asking you to do is not shit on mamdani

can you just at least do that? or must we fight pointlessly

or just ignore me and keep crapping on mamdani as you will

i've registered my disapproval of what you said. ignore it if you want, but i think it's foolish

@benroyce @eswag @Pepijn

100%

Progressives need to take over the Democratic party

We still need a bIg tent and need to avoid ideological battles/purity tests. But progressives need to quit screwing around and seize the lead of the only institution with any hope of pushing back MAGA

@benroyce @eswag @Pepijn

I know little about Mamdani. I have never worked with him to know how he handles people and situations. Winning an election is not a sign of good character and capacity for governance. I've seen too many turkeys get elected, but they have a good media image.

He could be another Obama--and this would be good. But we need to move past a political messiah fixing things for us.

@Pepijn @benroyce working for a danish/italian company I didn't have "war with the US" on my list of potential risks for 2026. As you said: there are so many positive things which used to come up thinking about the US, but now it's the opposite. It feels like a friend who betrays you.

@TCatInReality @benroyce @eswag @Pepijn I think the rot is partisanship.

Partisanship got us into our gerrymandered lesser-of-two-evils shitshow.

I don't see how partisanship for an imaginary party that is spelled "d-e-m-o-c-r-a-t" but acts like lefties is going to reform jack shit.

Burn down all parties and just vote for lefties if you like lefties. If your ballot just has assholes on it, do whatever you feel you can live with.

@davevolek @eswag @Pepijn

i've done political work

are you putting forth a resume on your part working in a shit old system, exactly as you crap on mamdani for successfully working a shit old system?

come on man

all i'm asking you to do is not shit on mamdani

can you just at least do that? or must we fight pointlessly

or just ignore me and keep crapping on mamdani as you will

i've registered my disapproval of what you said. ignore it if you want, but i think it's foolish

@benroyce Just a note: I do like your empowering anger, your thoughts and engagement, and your patience here.
People like you give me hope for a change.

@davevolek@mastodon.social @eswag @Pepijn

@grumble209 @TCatInReality @eswag @Pepijn

oh yeah, parties suck

unfortunately they are real

merely saying "there shouldn't be political parties" sounds good. and is true. but it doesn't change a damn thing

so we have to work with the shit we got

it's like saying "war is bad"

no shit

but when there's russians marching tanks over your border, that sentiment doesn't mean much. you have to fight them

so we have to engage on political parties. because it's great? no. because it is what it is

@benroyce @TCatInReality @eswag @Pepijn I respectfully disagree.

As far as I can tell, parties are the storefronts where big money donors go shopping to buy corrupt politicians.

I will not support a political party. I will support the good candidates that I trust. People - with ideas - not parties.

There's nothing about political parties in my Constitution, and that's good enough for me.

We may have to disagree about this.

@NatureMC @eswag @Pepijn

thank you

i'm simply a hothead and a loudmouth

which is not a virtue

but it might be something like a virtue in a shit world such as it is

any one who isn't angry isn't paying attention. so therefore all there is that i'm doing of any value is articulating anger. the tragedy would be is that is all i do. so the idea is to do that anger articulating *effectively*: actually change things

let's see not only how i can do that, but how all of us can do that

@NatureMC @eswag @Pepijn

thank you

i'm simply a hothead and a loudmouth

which is not a virtue

but it might be something like a virtue in a shit world such as it is

any one who isn't angry isn't paying attention. so therefore all there is that i'm doing of any value is articulating anger. the tragedy would be is that is all i do. so the idea is to do that anger articulating *effectively*: actually change things

let's see not only how i can do that, but how all of us can do that